Karlskrona Kommun (Karlskrona Municipality) has joined as a Member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)
Karlskrona, located on the Baltic coast was founded in 1680, when Karl XI decided to build Sweden’s new naval base here. More than 340 years later, the naval base remains and the well-preserved architecture and city plan impressed UNESCO, and gave the city World Heritage status in 1998, and has also designated the archipelago as one of seven biosphere reserves in Sweden.
Sustainability in Karlskrona Kommun
In Karlskrona municipality, there is a sustainability program that governs how they work with, and follow up on issues linked to sustainability: from economy and health, to climate and security. It governs the sustainability work in the entire Karlskrona municipal group and it is based on Karlskrona Vision 2030. The sustainability program gives Karlskrona municipality the opportunity to plan, manage and follow up the municipality’s sustainability work within ecological, social and economic sustainability.
“We have a unique position with a world heritage and a biosphere area to manage. It comes with a responsibility. Thanks to GSTC we will strengthen our identity as a sustainable destination and through concrete plans and collaboration work for a sustainable tourism development in our Unesco nominations”, says world heritage coordinator Elena Peverada at Karlskrona municipality.
“Our strategic goal is to contribute to establishing an attractive and sustainable destination, where we now intend to deepen the sustainability work towards our companies based on GSTC’s criteria”, says Therese Hagström Andersson, marketer at Karlskrona municipality.
GSTC Welcomes Karlskrona Kommun
“We welcome Karlskrona Kommun as a member of GSTC and congratulate them on their commitment to sustainable tourism development. We believe that tourism, when developed sustainably, can be a powerful force for good, contributing to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage, creating local economic opportunities, and promoting cross-cultural understanding and peace. We look forward to working with Karlskrona Kommun and our other members to advance sustainable tourism practices worldwide” says Randy Durband, GSTC CEO.
GSTC encourages destinations pursuing sustainability practices in tourism development and management to join as GSTC members and apply the GSTC Destination Criteria, which eventually can help achieve certification by a GSTC-Accredited Certification Body.
About Karlskrona Kommun (Karlskrona Municipality)
Karlskrona is a hub in a growing region with proximity to the rest of Europe. Here you will find all the possibilities for a good life both in your career and in your free time. As the city is built on islands, many Karlskrona residents live in the middle of the beautiful archipelago.
In Karlskrona there are great career opportunities, both large international companies, several public employers, and innovative entrepreneurial companies. There are also world-class educations to be found here. Karlskrona municipality has 66,682 inhabitants. Visitors often declare with fascination how beautiful it is here and how close it is to everything.
There are 4 officials in the hospitality industry in Karlskrona municipality, and another 5 within the region of Blekinge educated in GSTTP during 2022.
For more information visit: https://www.visitkarlskrona.se/sv
About the GSTC
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (GSTC®) establishes and manages global sustainable standards, known as the GSTC Criteria. There are two sets: Destination Criteria for public policy-makers and destination managers, and Industry Criteria for hotels and tour operators. These are the guiding principles and minimum requirements that any tourism business or destination should aspire to reach in order to protect and sustain the world’s natural and cultural resources while ensuring tourism meets its potential as a tool for conservation and poverty alleviation.
The GSTC Criteria form the foundation for GSTC’s assurance role for Certification Bodies that certify hotels/accommodations, tour operators, and destinations as having sustainable policies and practices in place. GSTC does not directly certify any products or services, but provides accreditation to those that do. The GSTC is an independent and neutral USA-registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization that represents a diverse and global membership, including national and provincial governments, leading travel companies, hotels, tour operators, NGOs, individuals and communities – all striving to achieve best practices in sustainable tourism.
Information for media and the press: www.gstcouncil.org/about/for-the-press/
